Rob Finney, Chief Operating Officer at Tristone Healthcare, a provider of adult and children’s services, discusses the importance of incorporating social impact into social care.
Social impact, or making a difference, was a theory born in 1969 – one that’s steadily grown in prominence over fifty-plus years. However, it’s only in recent years that it’s really begun to take on true meaning, becoming something of a buzzword both domestically and internationally.
Some might argue that in social care the term is part of the fabric of organisations – or at least it should! The difference now is that in a world that’s rightfully intent on acting purposefully and delivering positive social and environmental outcomes, there’s a greater need not only to measure it, but also to understand what we mean by it.
The lack of either risks organisations being seen as artificial and lacking a genuine desire to achieve real change. After all, it’s not only about good intentions, but also about the effect organisations have on all stakeholders, whether that’s the people we care for, the communities where we’re based, our employees, or the people we partner with.
Social impact in social care
In theory, social care and social impact should go hand in hand. Everything we strive to do as a sector should always have the best interests of the people we care for at the centre of everything we do.
But to truly be a purpose driven organisation, social impact has to be embedded into the culture of a business, it has to cascade from the top down, and you have to have buy-in from everyone within the organisation. If not, achieving social impact will fail.
The truth is, acting in the best interest of all stakeholders can deliver on many levels – durable profitability that can, in turn, be reinvested back into an organisation, sustainable value, as well as positive outcomes across the board.
But how can you achieve sustainable social impact in social care?
Values, mission and vision
These three elements form the bedrock of any organisation and provide everyone within the guiding principles in which to deliver social impact. Each are unique to a business, whether they’re centred around excellence, compliance, ethics, or value creation. Defining and communicating these forms an important platform on which to develop a long-term social impact proposition.
Leadership
Having a strong and transparent management team in place that understands and stands by the purpose of any social care organisation is vital. To be successful in delivering social impact, it must come from the top and senior teams must lead by example. Without a guiding light, the rest of the organisation will struggle to understand and buy-in to its raison d’etre.
Measurement
A gut feeling is one thing, but being able to properly evidence the impact an organisation is having on all stakeholders is essential, particularly in today’s economic and social climate. Utilising technology is one method of measuring the impact an organisation is having; equally, capturing qualitative evidence is important. The stories, the case studies, the soundbites, the testimonials, all help to create a compelling story.
Unsurprisingly, in the last five years, the term ‘social impact’ has been an extremely popular search term, peaking in late 2023. There’s no question that its popularity will continue to thrive as governments, regulators, organisations, consumers, and investors strive to deliver both social and environmental outcomes.
In social care, this has never been more important. Whatever challenges young people and adults are faced with, everybody is entitled to lead healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives, positively contributing to the world around them. Everyone deserves a safe and caring environment in which to achieve that and the role providers play in creating that is crucial.
tristonehealthcare.co.uk
